Backup USB Key

[Bitback]

Can you use it on any PC? What about a PC from another WHS 2011 server?

 

Just wondering...Thanks!

[yodafett]

you can definately use it on any pc and im pretty sure you can use it on any home server as it goes out and does an actual hunt for the homeserver. Not sure what would happen though if you had 2 whs on the same subnet.

[Bitback]

I actually do have 2 on the same subnet - but they are V1.

 

What happens with V1, is it gives a dropdown to choose which server, pretty slick.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[ikon]

You really seem to want to avoid doing clean installs (based on your other post). Again, there's a reason people recommend doing clean installs - they don't bring a lot of extraneous garbage with them. In the end, I don't think it's a good practice because it causes the systems to run slower. Many people rebuild their systems once or twice a year just to 'refresh' them and get the crud out.

[Bitback]

The whole point of WHS is to restore quickly. A clean install involves many steps: Load OS, updates/patches/ load applications (Where is the software/keys?) etc. This is the whole point of a WHS backup.

 

Example: A user's PC crashed. They don't want to wait a day while I re-install everything (and this keeps me from doing much else). I want to pop in the restore key and let it do it's thing. The user logs in after 40+ minutes and is on his/her way. Same desktop, same everything.

 

A clean install destroys their favorites, printer installs, VPN setups etc..

 

I use WHS at several businesses and just wanted to make sure I could us the same USB key between them. With V1 I just use the CD.

[ikon]

The whole point of WHS is to restore quickly. A clean install involves many steps: Load OS, updates/patches/ load applications (Where is the software/keys?) etc. This is the whole point of a WHS backup.

 

Example: A user's PC crashed. They don't want to wait a day while I re-install everything (and this keeps me from doing much else). I want to pop in the restore key and let it do it's thing. The user logs in after 40+ minutes and is on his/her way. Same desktop, same everything.

 

A clean install destroys their favorites, printer installs, VPN setups etc..

 

I use WHS at several businesses and just wanted to make sure I could us the same USB key between them. With V1 I just use the CD.

Are you talking about restoring a backup to the same PC it was created from? I ask because I may be confusing this post with your other one (Universal Restore) where you talked about restoring to different hardware. Is this a totally different topic?

 

If you are restoring to the same PC, then you absolutely can use the same restore key/CD. There is only one restore 'disc'; you use the same one for all WHS2011 restores.

[Bitback]

Sorry - yes to the same PC.

 

I have been reading this forum for a while. I joined, and like 8 questions popped out!

 

Thanks for the help!

[ikon]

Sorry - yes to the same PC.

 

I have been reading this forum for a while. I joined, and like 8 questions popped out!

 

Thanks for the help!

LOL, I understand your confusion; can be a bit overwhelming at first. But yeah, if you're restoring to the same PC, WHS is AFAIK, just about the best tool available.